Thursday, May 15, 2014

Village street gets new mannequin

A Derbyshire village has been donated a new mannequin for
its high street after the previous one that had stood there for 22 years was
stolen. The plastic statue called Dolly had been a popular fixture in Shirland, near
Alfreton, for two decades. Owner Carol Wilson said everyone had been "devastated" since she disappeared
from outside a cafe last month in broad daylight.

A replacement has now been donated to the village by a resident. Ms Wilson bought the beloved mannequin while on holiday in Skegness and
placed it outside her antiques and second-hand shop in Main Road. "We're devastated. She used to get a lot of attention outside the shop," Ms
Wilson said.

"We used to dress her accordingly to the weather and one summer we put her in
a bikini which caused one or two accidents. She would even get postcards from people on their holidays. She became a real pillar of the community." Police are investigating the theft but all that has been seen of Dolly is a
shoe that was found in a lay-by.

Cafe owner, Vicki-Jayne Potter, said: "The whole village is in uproar. We have all searched for her in the fields and everywhere but there's been
no sign of her. It would be nice to get Dolly back but Rosie is a replacement for the
village to keep her legacy going." Ms Potter said Rosie had been given a more modern outfit and haircut and
would now be chained down.